Work scheduled at former motel site in Red Bluff on Sacramento River

The site of the former Cinderella Motel at Antelope Boulevard and Rio Street in Red Bluff will be undergoing testing starting Monday for clean up of potentially toxic substances left behind from its days as a gas manufacturing plant.

RED BLUFF &GT;&GT; Field work is scheduled to start Monday at the former site of the Cinderella Motel on the banks of the Sacramento River at Antelope Boulevard and Rio Street.

The work, which is expected to last about a week and a half, will involve collecting soil samples and performing other investigation activities to assist in the design of a plan to clean up soil impacted with former gas plant residues including hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds and metals, such as lead, according to a work notice issued by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

The former Red Bluff Manufactured Gas Plant at the site is being cleaned up by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Field work will be conducted between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays and include identifying underground piping and utilities; drilling holes with a hand auger and truck-mounted drill rig to collect soil samples; installing test pits and pot holes using a backhoe, air knife and hand auger; use of traffic control measures including orange cones and blocking-off of some street parking during work on Rio Street; cataloging samples and backfilling holes and general cleanup of work areas.

All work will be done in accordance with a site-specific Health and Safety Plan, in coordination with the city, and environmental staff will be on-site at all times to oversee the work. Work areas will be sectioned-off and the work will look and sound like typical surveying and construction.

PG&E has set up a toll-free hotline, at (866) 247-0581, to report dust, odors or other project impacts so they can quickly be addressed.

Site-related documents are available at the Tehama County Library, 645 Madison St.

Key technical reports, fact sheets and other site-related information is available at http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov. Enter "Red Bluff " as the city, select "PG&E Red Bluff MGP," and click on the "Activities" tab to view documents.